ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · rash · bound · content · stick · capital · lie · ruler

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. capital — money
  4. content — happy
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com